Romans 12:1 is a much beloved text used to encourage Christian living. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” The work God has done is our lives is ample motivation for us to spend our lives in worship unto him! The question is to what mercies is Paul referring? A look to the context will provide an answer.
What immediately precedes 12:1 are three of the most debated chapters in all the Bible, 9-11. It is in these chapters that Paul unpacks the doctrine of election, that is, that our choice in this life to embrace Jesus is rooted in God’s choice of us before the ages began. Your faith is not based on anything within you but upon the loving choice of God to bestow his grace upon you! Some suggest that chapters 9-11 only apply to Jews. Such argumentation is hardly convincing when one reads those chapters and finds that Paul is using God’s election of Jewish individuals to illustrate God’s election of Gentile individuals! Paul then concludes in 11:30-32, “Just as you [Gentile believers] were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their [Jews] disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” These are the “mercies” referred to then in 12:1.
God’s gracious election of individuals for salvation before time was so ordered that both Jew and Gentile would receive his mercy! Therefore, since this “mercy” has been poured out upon you, out of humble gratitude, pour out your life to him!
No comments:
Post a Comment